New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-02-06


time ten hours day, from the cutting table 10
the cooling table, floors ss slippery as glass
or glare ice. They picked ii up as 1t coolei.
wrapped it in paper and had IL In boxes, nVe
pounds TO the minute 800 pounds al hour Inc
caustc soda in it first turned their nails orange
nlor and then it ate off their finger TIPS TIL they
bed. They could not gloves for that would
have interfered with the packing.
"Now and then ono cried, but only seldom. They
were biz. hearty girls. They had b. be 10 90
that work. but my heart ached for them as they
fled out al night, worn that there was no Ire
left for anything but to get home and into bed.
Very few STAYED on. The smart ones graduated into
something better. The stupid ones fell back and
tried something easier. But as l watched them
and il came over me how unframed and helpless
they were, and how every chance Of learning was
cut of by the long labor and the dead weariness.
| said to myself that owed them something {:
shorter hours; better wages; some sort Of share
in the money we were making Friend Peter
shook his head when i began TO hint these things.
They fare well enough he said. Thee must
not get sOcialistic notions in thy head j know
nothing about socialism, said. All want Is
Justice. and thee wants it too. Thee has cried
out for it for the black brother and sister. Why
mob for the white -
"Thce is talking folly lie sad. and would
make no other answer.
1t all weighed on me. Here was the money
rolling in or so il seemed to me. We did make it
in sure comfortable fashion. I well oil at
twenty-five and better off every month, and
said to myself the money would have curse on IL
if those who helped to it had no share.
talked to the men in the boiling department.. II
takes brains TO be a good soapmalIer. We kept to
the old ways, simply because what they call i'm
provemcnts in soap-mal1ng, like many another i'm
provemenb has been the cheapening
the product by the addition OF
various articles that lower the quality.
Experience has TO teach. Theoretical knowledge
iSn,t IN foundation. A
Use eyes and toncuc. and watch for the critical
moment in the finishing like lynx.
"Well, beat my head against that wall OF OBJ
stinacy till head and heart were sore. 1t was
enough to tho old Quaker that he paid promptly
and did honest work. and when l told him at
last that his gains fraudulent as IL he
cheated deliberately. he said: Then thee need
share them no longer Go thy way for hot
headed fool.
al went. There was an opening in New-York
and / had every detail at my fingers ends
went in with. man little older. who seemed to
think as did, and who did. till made practical
application of my theories. L had studied every
thing to be had the subject. L had mastered
a language or two in my evenings. for lived lire
"a hermit but now l began to talk with every
business man. and try to understand why compe
tition was inevitable. | in no haste. l adj
mitted that men must be trained TO cooperate
but said, We shall never learn by waiting. We
must learn by trying / tried To bring In other
of them were using the cheap methods increasing
the quantity and lowering the quality. Some OF
the men had come on to me from Philadelphia
and were bound to stay, but 1t was hard on them.
They had to 60 into tenement houses. Tor there
were no homes for them such as building associn-
tions In Philadelphia make possible for every work
man. But l took a house and divided II up ana
made ID comfortable, and / lived on the lower
floor myself. SO that kept them contented.
fitted up O room for readingroom, and twice "a
L,,t tnl- -haf.s
every man had q chance to speak five minutes IL
no would, and to ask questions. l cOaXed the
women to come. l wanted them to understand.
and two or three took hold. | made decent
place for them to eat their dinners and put these
women in charge l put in an oil stove and
table and seats, and gave them coffee and tea at
two cents a cup. and tried to have them care for
the place. That has been done over and over by
many an employer who pities his workers. and
nine times out OF ten the same result follows.
The animal crops out. They were rough girls at
any time, yeb taken one by one, behaved well
enough But I've seen boys and girls at q do
nation party throw cheese and what not on the
carpet and rub it in deliberately, and don't know
that one need Wonder that hnch-rOoms in store
or factory turn into pig-pens, and the lew decent
ones can make no Roadway.
al spoke out to them all. but IL was no more than
the wind blowing and at last even / gave 1t up.
There was no conscience In them TO touch. They
wanted shorter hours ard more money, when they
had got to the point OF seeing that was trying to
help but they had no notion OF helping back.
With my men il worked, and they talked down
the women sometimes. But when n bad year
came, for soap has its ups and downs like every
thing else most OF them struck, and the wise ones
could make no Roadway. It's losing game| my
PARTNER said III you want TO go on you must 20
on alone.
81 did 60 on alone. He left md took his
capital with him. The best men staid With me
and swore TO take their chances The soap was
| good, and made Int in one or two fancy Kinds.
| but / could NOT compete with men who used
mean material and turned out something That
looked as well at half the price. My money
melted away and fire, sch they told me by a man
] had discharged for long-cOn inued dishonesty
finished me. had the name Of stirring up strie
for the manufacturers, because l tried TO teach
my workers the principle Of cooperation, and
begged for it where | could. It hurt my business
standing. Men felt that / must be fool.
had worked for ii with such ABSORPTION that
1 had had little time for any JOY Of life had
neither wife nor child. though l longed for both.
1 would not have ease and happiness alone. /
wanted 10 for my fellows. To-day il might be.
Ten years ago it only the thought OF n
dreamer. and I made no hca1way
1.-The fire left me stranded. ! went in as
superintendent of some new works. but went out
III month. for | could not consent TO cheat. ami
fraud was in every pound sent out tried one
place and another with the same result. Com
petition makes honesty impossible. man would
admit it TO without hesitation, but would
end There's no other way. Don't be q fool
| You can't stand out against system
80 will stand ont IT, it starves me- said. Il
win not sell my soul for any mans hire. The
time is coming when this rottcnncss must end
Make one move to fight it now
"Men looked at me pitifully. 9 was throwing
away chances they said. why wouldn't hear
reason. We were in the world not in Utopia
t." We arc in the hell we have made for all
mankind said The only real world IS the
] world which is founded on truth and Justice
| Everything else falls away
Everything else has fallen away. I was never
strong, and year ago | was knocked down In
a scrimmagc. Some DULLES from one Of the fac
torcs set my men, mine no LONGER, but ST i'll
preaching my doctrine. Somehow | was kicked in